Ball-and-socket vehicle coupling



Jan. 18, 1949.

W. M. MURRAY BALL AND SOCKET VEHICLE COUPLING Filed June 26, 1945 a connector are substantially Patented Jan. 18, 1949 OFFICE- naLL-Ann-sooxiir vamcnr: comma William Mofl'et Murray, North Balclutha,

I New Zealand Application June 26, 1945, Serial No.

In New Zealan 1 The present invention relates to connectors for connecting together a hauling vehicle to a hauled vehicle of the known flexible ball and socket type,

and is particularly though not solely applicable to connecting together a trailer to a motor vehicle.

The object or the present invention is to provide a connector of the above-mentioned type which enables the vehicles to be attached or detached with a minimum of labour and without the use of tools. Further in the preferred construction the moving operational parts of the housed within the connector body member while in the preferred embodiment of the invention safety means are provided to prevent inadvertent release of the ball member from the connector socket.

A further important advantage according to the present invention lines in the fact that the direct pull is taken mainly by the inner face of the, casting or connector body and by no moveable part, while in the preferred construction the form of retaining lip gives a very adequate grip on the ball preventing the ball from being vertically withdrawn.

The aim of this invention is to provide an improved flexible ball and socket type connector primarily between a motorvehicle and a hauled trailer-the said connector being made to permit attaching and detaching of the vehicles with a minimum of labour and without the use of tools being further characterised by having the moving operational parts of the connector housed substantially within the connector'body member and further characterised by safety means to prevent inadvertent release from the connector socket of the ball member.

The connector member is so designed that the pull when hauling, is at least not substantially borne by the moving parts whose function is primarily to complete the socket construction and so to retain the ball member in a flexible grip. Further, the moving parts of the connector member are held in their engagement position under the influence of a compression spring while in the preferred embodiment there is compensation provided for variations in size, within limits, of the ball member, and divergence from strict alignment, as well as providing for wear of the engaging parts. Also, means are preferably provided for adjustment of the spring tension when wear of moving parts or divergence from normal anticipated sizes makes such adiustmentnecessary.

The ,body of the connector member is channel shaped in one part so as to enclose the moving d January 31, 1945 1 Claim. (CL'280-33J7) parts when the connector socket device is closed with the exception that one of the moving parts so enclosed is extended to form an operating handle Whichdoes project above the security of the channel so as to permit hand grip by the user. By this arrangement, the spring and the moving parts are protected from damage and distortion by accidental contact with other features such as falling pieces oi' the load or other damaging contact which might joccur if thes'aid moving parts were exposed above the connector body when closed for hauling function.

Broadly the invention comprises an attachable and detachable connector of the ball and socket type for flexible attachment of a hauling vehicle to a hauled vehicle or the like comprising a ball member with a vertically disposed stem adapted to be attached to one vehicle and a connector body provided with ball clamping means adapted to be attached to the other vehicle, said connector body being so constructed (a) as to enable said ball member to be inserted into or withdrawn from a ball recess formed in its front inner face but toprevent its vertical or substantially vertical withdrawal therefrom by a semicircular containing lip or flange of less radius than the ball member. and (b) that the direct pull is taken on the front inner face of said connector body member.

The complementary socket parts in the arrangement envisaged comprise a cup faced block.

member pressed against the ball member by the force of a compression spring acting through a plunger member upon a link end of a handle member when the said handle member is turned down to lie along and in part within the sides of the body part of the connector member; and all arranged that when the said handle member is raised, it withdraws the cup faced block from retaining controlof the ball member with the additional provision of a safety pin crossing the body member in such a position as to prevent the opening of the socket device while the safety pin is in place.

That the invention might be the better understood, drawings are appended illustrating a constructional embodiment of the invention in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of nation closed. 7

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of a connector a connector combimember when open wherein the ball member is indicated by a dotted line circle as in the entering position.

- member.

the connector combination is member of particularly in Figures a partly spherical ball I having a' fianged be and a vertical bolt hole 3 through which passes a bolt 4 having a rounded head 50f" a contour.-'v

of the ball and :for'r'ningthe It is preferred that the bolt hav e a.,., square neck to engage a squared topped bolt hole 3. The bolt 4 coincident with that top thereof.

v is used to secure to ball member integer to the appropriate vehicle part. -j

The-connector member in one preferred'and suitable adaptation comprises a body part having a channel'shaped'part in the form ofafiat base 1 with vertical sides 8; bolt holes 9 are provided in the base I 'for attachment to an appropriate vehicle partQpreferably that of the trailer vehicle as aforesaid.

As viewed; in the drawings, the right hand end of Figures 1/ and 2 will be termed the back of the connnectorme'mber and-the left hand endof'the shown in one pre-*= I ferred and suitable constructional::. adaptation, 1 and 2 wherein isshown armsare shaped with a 22- as is shownparticularly in-Figure-2 of the mounted on the pivot pin l1 and housed inside the lugs it. The crank arms extend in length approximately to the base line of the connector body member and are joined together at their front and lower faces by a crank block feature It which on its front face is concave to form a part spherical cup feature shaped to suit the curvature of the bjall member.

The; position of the} segre ate it on the crank'arms l8 is such that when the" block feature 7 J9 is moved forwards against "when accommodated in the socket cavity, then ithe'cupffeature'n will bear against and coincide ,with the ball member. Holes are formed in the the ball member irank"arms'toaccommodate a hinge pin 2| passing transversely across the space between the ,;crank. arms. The hinge pin is located behind the block feature is and slightly nearer the top pivot pin J] than is the pressure centre line of the cup feature 20. Below the hinge pin 2| the crank fiat face to form a heel 8 of the connector drawings". The vertical sides bodyfpart are extended downwards to'provide may freely pass a'safety'pin 23.

space for transverse safety holes-,throhgh which The location of the holes and the safety pin is such that when the cup feature 20 is bearing against the ball member with the connector in the closed position and gripping the ball'member, then the said safety pin 23 will pass: immediately behind the heel 22 and prevent backwardsmovement of the figures in the drawings will be termed the front of the co hector member.

'The ver icalsides 8 of I extended beyond the base-and join" at the front H! of the c nnector member and on its inside to form a socket cavity ll. As' shown particularly in Figures 2 and 6, the socket cavity is partly spherical to coincide with the outline of the ball member and with the greatest diameter of the ball member contained in the cavity disposed well above the base line of the connector From its greatest dameter of contour, the socket cavity continues in a curve round and inwards to meet the base line by the formation of a substantially semi-circular containing lip l2 of less radius than the ball member. The said lip I2 prevents vertical withdrawal of the ball member from the socket cavity, when the ball is pressed forwards against the front wall of the said socket cavity.

The socket cavity, in effect, is continued backwards towards the base member to form an entry point l3 which has no containing up feature, and in which the full width of the cavity is continued down to the opening at the base line, so as to permit vertical entry and withdrawal of the ball member at a point behind the ends of the semi-circular lip l2. The point of entry and withdrawal is shown by the placing of the dotted circle in Figures 3 and 5. When the ball member enters the space between the vertical sides at the entry point it may be passed upwards and forwards to rest in the socket cavity and be held there by means to be described, and is in part caused to move upwards and forwards by contact with the upwards sloping roof l5 of the cavity.

At a position somewhat behind the entry point I3, the vertical sides are extendedupwards to form a pair of pivot hole through which passes a pivot pin 11.

A tumbler crank is pivotally swung on the pivot pin Hi. In one suitable shape the tumbler crank comprises a pair of the body member are lugs l6 pierced by a transverse crank arms l8 pivotally same. By this safety provision, while the safety pin 23 is in position in the safety holes, there is no possibility of the block feature being moved I back a sufficient distance-for the ball member to be withdrawn from Between the shoulder in size at a shoulder around the'ste'm 29.

the socket cavity. The safety provision is an important feature of the invention and the location'of the safety hole and safety pin as described herein ,is only one and a preferred location; as it is recognised that alternative positions might be found having equivalent effect to prevent backwards movement of the block feature. When it is desired to disengage the connector from the ball member, the safety pin must be withdrawn as a first step.

Hinged to the crank arms by the hinge pin 2| is a handle member having a base in the form of a link'part 24 from which rises a handle 36 shaped as is shown in Figure 2. The link part is made to move freely between the crank arms l8, and through the link part is formed a hinge pin hole through which passes freely the hinge pin 2|, and behind it in the link part is formed a hole through which passes freely a pressure pin 25. There is a plunger member 26 having a forked end 21 shaped to straddle the link part 24 and with a pin hole through the sides of the forked end 21 to accommodate the pressure pin 25 by which means the plunger member and the handle are pivotally joined together. The plunger member is disposed backwards between the vertical sides 8 of the connector body part and is reduced v 28 to form a round stem 29. A guide block 30 is swivelled by integral pins 3| moving in holes 32 in the vertical sides 8 of the connector body. "Through the guide block passes a guide hole slidably to accommodate the stem 2-9,"which projects beyond the guide block a sufficient distance to carry a plurality'of washers 33 and at its endhas a cotter pin 34 or the like. 28 and the guide block 30 a compression helical spring 35 is arranged The crank arms and integral parts, with the link ended handle and the plunger member all together are the moving parts of the connector of the hinge pin 2| will pass above the pressure pin 25. In this position, the pressure resultant from-the compression of the spring 35 spring pressure tends further to turn the link part on the hinge pin 2| as a pivot. By turning the handle into the upright position as shown in Figure 3, the pressure pin becomes a fulcrum on direction drawing with it the attached ends of the crank lever and the block feature. The block feature and cup face are drawn backwards a sufiicient distance to permit the ball member being withdrawn through the entry point. To achieve this it is necessary to bring the vehicles together the additional short distance as measured between the socket cavity. and the entry point. This can be done only if the safety pin 23 is first withdrawn.

To couple two vehicles together using the connector combination of parts according to this passed upwards the entry point and the vehicles separated the small distance necessary to bring the ball member against the inside front wall of the socket cavity. The handle is then turned down into the channel of the body part, which operation, through the link operation as described, forces the cup feature against the ball member. Generally this operation above is sumcient to separate the two vehicles the small dis- V prevent disengagement of the socket parts holding the ball member.

sile strength and freedom from brittleness. ball part may be a malleable steel or malleable iron casting and the bolt be of steel or wrought IIOIl.

It will be noted by reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings that it is the extension of the helical spring which gives the pressure effect on the moving parts. Should the ball member or socket parts wear or be undersized, then the distance between the shoulder '28 and the guide for connecting the ball to the second element of the hitch, a lever pivotally mounted in the body and connected to and for operating the block relative to its socket formation, a spring pressed element in the body for maintaining the lever under yieldmember.

WILLIAM MOF'FET MURRAY. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

